Roving can rim



Dec. 21, 1965 E. c. GOODWIN, JR

ROVING GAN RIM Filed MaICh l5, 1964 3,224,659 ROVING CAN RIM Elmer C. Goodwin, Jr., Greenville, S.C., assignor to Spaulding Fibre Company, Inc., North Rochester, N.H., a corporation of New Hampshire Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,703 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-45) The present invention relates to roving cans of vulcanized fiber, polyethylene, or other non-metallic material, and more particularly to a reinforcing construction for the rim of the open end of such containers. he present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application Serial No. 230,368, led October 15, 1962, and now abandoned. h

Open topped containers known as roving cans have been in use for many years in textile mills for receiving roving or sliver as it comes otf lthe cards and for thereafter supplying the roving or sliver to the spinning frames or other equipment.

It is important for such textile uses that the roving can permit the roving or sliver to be drawn freely from the can las the roving or sliver is fed from the can to the textile machinery. It is common practice today to provide such cans with a spring supported false bottom upon which the coiled roving or sliver rests and which is depressed toward the bottom of the can against the influence of the spring as the can is lled and rises under the spring pressure as the roving or sliver is withdrawn. In some cases the false bottom is provided with a skirt and rises when the can is empty to extend above the top of the can. It is important in roving cans provided with false bottoms that the body of the can and the rim of its open upper end retain throughout its useful life substantially a true circular shape and the same diameter throughout the body so that the can body and rim do not interfere with the rising and falling movement of the false bottom. Inasmuch as the roving cans when in use in the textile mills are apt to be subjected to rough usage it also is important that the can bodies and rims be mechanically strong and resist-ant to damage by such usage.

Commonly such roving cans have been made with a vulcanized fiber cylindrical body open at the upper end and provided with some sort of a reinforcing structure for the rim of the open upper end of the can. In some such reinforcing constructions the free open upper end of the vulcanized body is rolled upon itself to form a stiffening bead or ring. In order to be so rolled or deformed, the vulcanized fiber has to be soaked in water to render it soft enough to permit working. Thereafter, when the reinforcement has been formed, the ber is dried and during such drying it tends to shrink, reducing the diameter of the can at the top. Over the years various expcdients have been resorted to with indifferent success to provide a roving can having a reinforced open upper end which would meet all of the foregoing requirements and at minimum cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide -an open ended roving can having a strongly reinforced open end.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for the rim of the open end of a vulcanized ber roving can which will tend to preserve the desired shape and size of `the open end of the container despite the tendency of the vulcanized fiber to shrink during drying following manufacture of such reinforced rim.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced open end structure for the open end of a roving can body of nonmetallic material which will be exceptionally strong and resistant to damage of the can in normal use.

nited States Patent O "ice A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for the open end of a non-metallic roving can which will tend to preserve the desired size and circular shape of the open end lof the can throughout its useful life.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and disclosure and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is an elevation of the complete roving can;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the reinforced rim of the open end of the can taken along a plane passing through the axis of the can;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the roving can has a tubular, preferably cylindrical, `body 2, uniform in diameter throughout its length. The lower end of the body is closed by a bottom wall (not shown) which may be of any conventional construction and which forms no part of the invention and therefore will not be described in detail. The outside of the 'bottom of the can is reinforced, as is usual, by a bottom ring 4 of metal or other material, affording additional strength and protecting the lower end of the can against mechanical abuse.

The body 2 is formed of non-metallic material, e.g., of the conventional vulcanized ber material which is well known in the art, or of polyethylene. Preferably it is of the usual seamless construction.

The rim of the open upper end of the can, with the construction of which the invention is concerned, comprises a metal reinforcing member cooperating with a deformed or reformed portion of the body 2 at its free open end.

The metal reinforcing member indicated generally at 6, is in the form of a band of metal, preferably of seamless, one-piece construction. The reinforcing band 6 is of a shape as seen in cross-section which is generally of inverted U shape having one of its arms longer than the other. Thus, the band comprises a wider portion 8 lnd a narrower portion 1), spaced from each other and Ylng generally parallel, the portions 8 and 10 being internecting portion 12 inte7 with both. The wider portio arg1 C n 8 preferably is substantiall straight throughout its width, as seen in cross-section iii FIG. 2. The narrower portion 10 may be of a similar the narrow portion 10. The connect in cross section.

The reinforcing band 6 is dis the container with th 8 adjacent the outer the reinforcing band posed on the outside of e exposed face of its wider portion surface of the body 2. Preferably 6 is of a diameter such that it snugly fits the lbody 2, with the face of the wider portion 8 lying flat against the outer surface of the body 2. While this dispostion of the reinforcing band 6 is preferred, it may within t-he invention |be so formed as to have its narrower portion 10 located inwardly of the wider portion 8 and thus disposed adjacent the outer surface of the body 2.

The free open end of the body 2 is curled outwardly, as shown, to extend at 14 above the band 6 and about the connecting portion 12 and with a portion 16 outside the band. Preferably the curled portion 14 of the body 2 lies closely in contact with the exposed surface of the connecting portion 12, and the portion 16 may similarly lie closely in contact with the outer surface of the narrower portion 10, or may be spaced slightly therefrom, in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The free end of the body portion 2 is further curled inwardly below the lower end of the narrower portion 10. The body portion then may terminate, with its free end 18 disposed adjacent the wider portion 8, FIG. 4, or preferably may continue and be curled upwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the free end 18 lies between the Wider portion 8 and the narrower portion of the reinforcing band 6, providing additional strength. While it is not essential, the extreme free end of the portion 1S desirably is jammed tightly against the inner surface of the curved portion 12.

In manufacturing the described reinforced rim on a vulcanized fiber can body, the band 6 is slipped over the outside of the body 2 and the free end of the vulcanized fiber body is soaked in Water to render it sufficiently soft so that it may be deformed. The reinforcing band 6 is then moved into position and the free open end of the body 2 curled about the reinforcing band 6 by a spinning or other suitable deforming operation, to the form shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4, preferably the former. The vulcanized fiber body 2 is then permitted to dry. As it dries it tends to shrink and thus is brought tightly into engagement with the reinforcing band 6, which holds the body 2 outwardly, against shrinking forces.

In manufacturing the reinforced rim on a polyethylene can body, the top edge of the body conveniently is initially formed in the shape of an inverted U, the shorter leg of the U being on the outside. The reinforcing band is slipped into place in the U and the shorter leg of the U of the can body then reformed to the shape shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4, preferably the latter.

The reinforcing band, due to its lateral stiffness resulting from its construction and cross-sectional shape, adds needed stiffness to the can, firmly holding the adjacent wall of the body 2 in position, against shrinking or other forces, maint-aiming the desired internal diameter of the body 2 adjacent the open end, and preserving the desired circular shape of the open end, The fiber or polyethylene, lying outside the greater part of the reinforcing band 6 protects the band from damage and corrosion and covers its outer portion 10 so as to prevent the accumulation of lint and so that the band is not likely to damage other objects with which the roving can may come in contact. The inward turning of the end of the can body so that it is disposed beneath the outer arm of the band protects the free edge of the Ibody end from being caught, burred, or torn.

Due to the great stiffness of the reinforcing band, the reinforced rim of the invention provides the container with great strength and rmly tends to maintain the shape and size of the upper end of the can despite rough usage.

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising a tubular non-metallic body open at its upper end and a reinforcing member for the open end of the body, said reinforcing member lying entirely on the outside of the container and comprising a metal band of inverted U shape in cross section and thus having two portions spaced from each other, said band being disposed against the outer surface of said body adjacent its open end, the open end portion of said body lbeing curled outwardly above and outside said band and beneath one of said portions, the free end of said body portion lying outside the other of said portions.

2. A container comprising a tubular non-metallic body open at its upper end and a reinforcing member for the open end of the body, said reinforcing member lying entirely on the outside of the container and consisting of a lmetal band of inverted U shape in cross section with one arm of the U longer than the other, and thus having a wider portion and a narrower portion spaced from each other and interconnected by a connecting portion, said band being disposed against the outer surface of said tbody adjacent its open end with said connecting portion facing the open end, the open end portion of said body being curled outwardly above said band and about said connecting portion and outside and beneath said narrower portion, the free end of said body portion lying outside the other of said portions.

3. A roving can comprising a seamless cylindrical nonmetallic body open at its upper end and a reinforcing member for the open end of the body, said reinforcing member lying entirely on the outside of the body and consisting of a seamless circular metal band of inverted U shape in cross section with one arm of the U longer than the other, and thus having a wider portion and a narrower portion spaced from each other and interconnected lby a connecting portion, said wider portion of said band being disposed at against the outer surface of said body adjacent its open end with said connecting portion facing the open end, the 'open end portion of said body being curled outwardly above said band and about said connecting portion and outside and beneath said narrower portion, with its free end turned upwardly and lying between said wider portion and said narrower portion,

and outside said wider portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 719,515 2/1903 Schiefer 220-66 X 1,100,516 6/1914 Andrews 229-55 1,910,426 5/1933 Courtright 220-73 X FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A TUBULAR NON-METALLIC BODY OPEN AT ITS UPPER END AND A REINFORCING MEMBER FOR THE OPEN END OF THE BODY, SAID REINFORCING MEMBER LYING ENTIRELY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER AND COMPRISING A METAL BAND OF INVERTED U SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION AND THUS HAVING TWO PORTIONS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID BAND BEING DISPOSED AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BODY ADJACENT ITS OPEN END, THE OPEN END PORTION OF SAID BODY BEING CURLED OUTWARDLY ABOVE AND OUTSIDE SAID BAND AND BENEATH ONE OF SAID PORTIONS, THE FREE END OF SAID BODY PORTION LYING OUTSIDE THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS. 